Blinatumomab differentially modulates peripheral blood and bone marrow immune cell repertoire: A Campus ALL study.

Blinatumomab is the first bi-specific T-cell engager approved for relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL). Despite remarkable clinical results, the effects of blinatumomab on the host immune cell repertoire are not fully elucidated. In the present study, we characterized the peripheral blood (PB) and, for the first time, the bone marrow (BM) immune cell repertoire upon blinatumomab treatment.

Alternative surgical approach to treat aortic arch aneurysm after ascending aortic replacement with hybrid prosthesis.

We present a surgical technique to treat the distal aortic arch in patients who previously underwent ascending aortic replacement using the frozen elephant trunk. After debranching of the epiaortic vessels using a custom-made four-branch graft and systemic cooling, the extracorporeal circulation is interrupted, maintaining antegrade cerebral perfusion through the four-branch prosthesis. Then the "old" Dacron prosthesis, previously implanted for the ascending aortic replacement, is partially incised at its distal end, leaving a margin of prosthesis anastomosed to the native distal aorta, and the E-vita stent-graft is deployed under direct vision.

Multidetector computed tomographic coronary angiography as an alternative to conventional coronary angiography in non-coronary surgical patients.

Aim: Aim of our study was to evaluate multidetector 64-slice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) as an alternative to traditional coronary angiography (CA) to detect concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients initially admitted for non-coronary surgical procedures.

Methods: We have analyzed data of 380 consecutive patients operated from 2006 to 2008 initially admitted for aortic (N.=170) or mitral (N.

Permanent pacemaker implantation after isolated aortic valve replacement: incidence, risk factors and surgical technical aspects.

Objectives: Conducting system defects are common in patients with aortic valve disease. Aortic valve replacement may result in further conduction abnormalities requiring permanent pacemaker implantation. The aim of our study was to identify the incidence and predictors for postoperative 30-day permanent pacemaker implantation in patients undergoing isolated aortic valve replacement, and the effect of an accurate surgical technique in order to prevent permanent pacemaker implantation.

From bench to bedside: a novel technique of acquiring OCT images.

Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT), a high resolution intravascular imaging technique, requires blood displacement for reliable image acquisition and the current technique uses a soft occlusion balloon plus saline injection in the coronary artery. A non-occlusive technique based on manual infusion of a viscous iso-osmolar solution has been developed and tested and validated through a 2-phase study.

Methods And Results: OCT assessment was performed with the M2 LightLab OCT (LightLab Imaging, Westford, MA, USA) image-wire in 3 swine by infusing 30 ml of each of 3 solutions differing in viscosity, osmolarity and electrolytic composition (A: iodixanol 320 and Lactated Ringer's; B: iodixanol 320 and 50% albumin; C: iodixanol 320).